Judge blocks Biden's emissions rule forcing states to set greenhouse gas reduction targets
A federal judge on Monday blocked the Biden administration's new emissions rule that would have required states to set greenhouse gas reduction targets to receive federal highway funding, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.
What's the background?
The day before Thanksgiving, the Biden administration's Federal Highway Administration announced new regulations forcing state departments of transportation to "establish declining carbon dioxide" goals, Blaze News previously reported. The White House and the rule's supporters touted the measure as having "flexibility" because it did "not mandate how low targets must be."
According to the new rule, the targets and the progress made toward those targets would "be used to inform the future investment decisions of the Federal Government."
Critics argued that the Biden administration was using the rule to force Americans to switch to electric vehicles or public transportation.
Republican North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer released a statement in November accusing the "Biden bureaucracy" of "returning to their stale playbook of inventing illegal, punitive regulatory schemes."
"This final rule is contrary to congressional intent, usurps state authority by putting the federal government in the driver's seat, and is fundamentally unworkable in rural states like North Dakota," Cramer added.
Emissions rule faces legal challenge
A coalition of 21 states filed a lawsuit in December against the president, the United States Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration, claiming the agencies lacked the authority to regulate emissions or force states to follow the new measures, Courthouse News Service reported.
The plaintiff states in the case included Kentucky, South Dakota, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) argued that the rule would impact "the American economy" by requiring states to "make choices about projects, contracts, and regulations in order to meet the declining targets."
"Any mandated decline in on-road CO2 emissions will disproportionately affect states with more rural areas," Cameron wrote in the suit.
"States with fewer metropolitan areas have fewer options available to them to reduce CO2. Many of the ideas for how states can decrease GHG emissions — congestion pricing, road pricing, ramp metering, increased coordination with transit and non motorized improvements, paying fees to scrap low mileage heavy duty vehicles — are options more conducive to metropolitan areas, not rural ones," he continued. "Low population densities limit the efficacy of public transit and congestion pricing as options that would reduce vehicle miles traveled and, consequently, CO2 emissions."
United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky Judge Benjamin Beaton, appointed by former President Trump, blocked the Biden administration's rule on Monday.
In his opinion, Beaton declared, "Even assuming Congress gave the Administrator authority to set environmental performance standards that embrace CO2, the Administrator exercised that authority in an arbitrary and capricious manner."
Beaton agreed that the rule lacked a statutory basis. However, he did not enjoin the regulation's enforcement or vacate it.
A spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration told the DCNF, "The Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration remain committed to supporting the Biden-Harris Administration's climate goals of cutting carbon pollution in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050."
"We are reviewing the court's decision and determining next steps," the spokesperson added.
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Sen. Cramer's 42-year-old son faces manslaughter and other charges after allegedly crashing into patrol vehicle, killing deputy
While fleeing law enforcement, Ian Cramer, 42, crashed into a parked patrol vehicle on Wednesday, killing Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin, 53, who had been outside of the vehicle, according to a North Dakota Highway Patrol press release. Cramer, who is one of Sen. Kevin Cramer's (R-N.D.) children, faces various charges of manslaughter and more, according to court records.
The lawmaker said in a statement that "Ian suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations" and that he had "insisted on going to his brother Ike," who actually passed away in 2018.
The senator's wife, Kris, "took Ian to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck. When she got out of our vehicle, Ian jumped into the driver's seat and fled. Our daughter was able to track the car through Kris' cell phone and lead officers to him," his statement notes.
The NDHP press release says that Ian Cramer fled from law enforcement, resulting in a chase.
"When law enforcement approached Cramer, he fled in the vehicle and a pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the vehicle Cramer was driving veered and crashed head-on into an unoccupied Mercer County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle that was parked on a roadside approach. The Sheriff's Office vehicle was displaying its emergency lights at the time," the press release states. "A Mercer County Deputy was standing outside and behind the patrol vehicle when it was struck. The impact of the crash pushed the patrol vehicle into the deputy, killing him."
The Associated Press reported that Ian Cramer had been going more than 100 mph with two flat tires when he hit the vehicle, shoving it "directly into Martin’s person and launching him for about 100 feet," according to charging documents.
Martin "is survived by his wife and three children," according to the NDHP press release. The Mercer County Sheriff's Office also described Martin as a "grandpa."
"We grieve especially for the family of the hero who tried to help Ian, and we pray for our gracious God to show up as He always does in tragedy. We ask the public for prayers for the lost officer's family and colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us," Sen. Cramer said in his statement. "We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply."
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Schumer goes 'nuts' when GOP senators try to discuss border crisis during classified briefing that descended into total chaos
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) allegedly lost his temper on Tuesday because Republican senators insisted top government officials discuss the border crisis.
According to reports, a classified briefing about Ukraine funding — led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles Brown Jr. — became heated when Republican lawmakers began asking the officials direct questions about border security.
Schumer, however, immediately tried to stop such inquiries, demanding lawmakers speak only about Ukraine funding.
— (@)
Schumer's posture only caused the meeting to descend further into chaos, which reportedly included an F-bomb from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Eventually, several Republicans exited the briefing prematurely, believing it was a waste of time not to discuss the border, according to Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).
"People got up and walked out because this is a waste of time. … They just said, 'This isn't worth it. This is a joke. You're not serious about this. I'm going.' And I don't blame them," Cramer said after the briefing.
Cramer, moreover, told reporters that Schumer went "nuts" when he asked Gen. Brown to convince Democrats that border security is a critical problem that needs to be addressed.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said it was "the most heated briefing in the [sensitive compartmented information facility] I've seen."
For his part, Schumer claimed Republicans "hijacked" the briefing.
"It was immediately hijacked by Leader [Mitch] McConnell. The first question, instead of asking our panelists, he called on [Sen. James] Lankford to give a five-minute talk about the negotiations on border," Schumer said.
Schumer also accused Republicans of being "disrespectful" by "screaming" at Gen. Brown. Sources told CNN that it was Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) who got heated, but Cotton told CNN that he was directing his ire at Schumer.
At one point, Sen. Angus King, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, tried to calm tensions.
"Sen. King said, 'Hey, this may not have been the time that I want to discuss this, but it's an important topic. The president put it on the agenda with the supplemental having border funding. This is the only time we're all together, so it's totally legitimate for us to have that discussion,'" a GOP senator later told The Hill.
President Joe Biden has asked Congress to pass another supplemental spending bill that gives more aid to Ukraine and Israel. The cost of that bill is $106 billion, and more than $61 billion would go to Ukraine. Republicans, however, are reluctant to pass it unless Biden and Democrats agree to address domestic issues, too — like the border crisis.
Because of Schumer's behavior, Republican senators plan to block advancement of the supplemental package for the time being.
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Dear Mitch McConnell: You Were Not Elected To Do The Bidding Of Chuck Schumer And CNN
It is a cruel joke on the nation that McConnell is still the titular leader of Senate Republicans in Washington.Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer gets tip of pinky finger stitched back on after injury, but faces risk of infection and possible need for amputation
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota recently had the end of his pinky finger stitched back on after suffering an injury, and he now faces the risk of getting an infection and potentially needing to have the end of his finger amputated.
"While working in the yard over the weekend, I sustained a serious injury to my right hand, which required immediate surgery. I continue to remain in North Dakota close to medical care as there is a high risk of infection and the possible need for finger amputation," Cramer said in the statement. "I am alert and in good spirits. Although I am missing this week of votes and hearings, I am monitoring Senate business closely and in constant contact with my colleagues and staff. I plan to return to Washington, after the Independence Day state work period and expect to be doling out a lot of left-handed fist bumps."
Forum News Service reported that the senator said as he was attempting to move a big rock, it rolled onto his pinky finger and ring finger, tearing the tip of the little finger off and crushing the other finger.
"Right when I looked at it I knew it was severe," the lawmaker said, according to the outlet. "It was pretty nasty."
The end of the little finger was stitched back on at the hospital. The senator said the possibility for infection is high and he could potentially need to have the end of the pinky finger amputated.
He remarked that he is grateful that the incident did not inflict more harm and that "the worst-case scenario isn’t that bad."
Cramer's communications director Molly Block tweeted that the lawmaker was joking "that his future @NFL career is over."
\u201c@mollyerinb @NFL Part of one little finger.\u201d— Molly Block (@Molly Block) 1655914012
Cramer has served in the U.S. Senate since 2019 and had previously served several terms as the representative for North Dakota's at-large congressional district.
President Joe Biden is pushing for a federal gas tax holiday, urging Congress to suspend the tax on gas as well as the tax on diesel for 90 days.
"Suspending the gas tax is nothing more than a knee-jerk political stunt providing minimal relief while blowing a hole in our infrastructure funding," Cramer said in a statement. "Asking Congress to suspend the 18-cent-per-gallon gas tax is a feckless motion to Americans paying $5 at the pump to drive to work and take their long-delayed vacations," he said. "If the Biden Administration is serious about combating inflation and lowering gas prices, they need to take a complete 180 on their energy policies and pro-regulation agenda."
The federal gas tax is a bit higher than 18 cents per gallon, while the diesel tax is slightly over 24 cents per gallon. A gas tax holiday would offer little relief, as the AAA national average price for a gallon of regular gas is $4.955 as of Wednesday, while the AAA national average for diesel is $5.812.
"The President is also calling on Congress to make sure that a gas tax holiday has no negative effect on the Highway Trust Fund," according to the White House. "With our deficit already down by a historic $1.6 trillion this year, the President believes that we can afford to suspend the gas tax to help consumers while using other revenues to make the Highway Trust Fund whole for the roughly $10 billion cost. This is consistent with legislation proposed in the Senate and the House to advance a responsible gas tax holiday."
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